Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 332
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Book Description
Weed Clapper, a witty, resilient seventeen-year-old, journeys to Indiana amid the growing racial unrest of 1960. After his black friend is terrorized by the KKK, Weed begins to uncover the dark secrets of this small Midwestern town. He turns to his beautiful young teacher for support, and tumbles into a most forbidden love affair. Laugh-out-loud funny, yet achingly poignant, Weed's journey to defy convention and defend his sense of justice will cause you to stand up and cheer for this charming, hilarious and unlikely hero.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 224
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Book Description
After his wife's death, former detective Sam Lerner returns to his native New Orleans and ends up at the Gentlemen's Club, an escort establishment owned by his longtime friend. There, he befriends Madsen Cassaise: a young Creole who cares for him as he struggles to overcome his grief and growing dependence on alcohol. But when Madsen is found dead, Sam is drawn into the investigation. As more escorts disappear, Sam delves ever deeper into the bayous, cemeteries, levees and bistros of the Vieux Carre, and discovers a shocking secret. In the Big Easy, a place as mysterious as the case itself, the former detective will discover what is truly Inside Sam Lerner.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 880
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Book Description
A collection of three novels by Gwen Banta, now available in one volume! Enduv Road: This generational saga will take you on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah, where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting. The Remarkable Journey Of Weed Clapper: Witty seventeen-year-old Weed Clapper journeys to Indiana amid the growing racial unrest of 1960. After his black friend is terrorized by the KKK, Weed begins to uncover the dark secrets of this small Midwestern town. Turning to his beautiful young teacher for support, he tumbles into a most forbidden love affair. Laugh-out-loud funny, yet achingly poignant, Weed's journey to defy convention and defend his sense of justice will cause you to stand up and cheer for this charming, unlikely hero. The Train Jumper: In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway she meets Hilda, who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. There, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni. When immigration comes to take Leni into custody, the railway once again becomes an escape route. A grand adventure full of laughter and pathos, the lives of Gwen Banta's characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 579
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Book Description
Two crime thrillers by Gwen Banta, now available in one volume! Inside Sam Lerner: After his wife's death, former Los Angeles homicide detective, Sam Lerner, is running from his life. Returning to his native New Orleans, he ends up at the Gentlemen's Club. There, he befriends Madsen: a young Creole who cares for him as he struggles to overcome his grief and growing dependence on alcohol. After Madsen is found drowned, Sam is drawn into the investigation. As more escorts disappear, Sam moves ever deeper into the bayous, levees and bistros of the Vieux Carre - and uncovers something he never expected to find. In the Big Easy, a place as mysterious as the case itself, the former detective is about to discover what is truly Inside Sam Lerner. With Wanton Disregard: Tim Mulrooney is at a crossroads in his life when he meets Lauren: the wife of a prominent Long Beach physician who has been brutally murdered. In spite of the evidence against Lauren, Tim decides to fight and prove her innocence. As more savage murders occur in the exclusive Long Beach enclave of Belmont Shore, Mulrooney needs to piece together the evidence. After he makes a startling discovery about the next intended victim, Tim must risk his reputation, his shield, and his life to solve the case.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275
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Book Description
"Rediscovering Ramona grips you from the first moment. Banta's storytelling truly shines." - Readers Favorite, 5 Stars (K.C. Finn) After a tragedy, witty Los Angeles writer Ramona 'Ro' Wilder struggles with crippling feelings of vulnerability. When the global pandemic hits, she limits her social interaction to the view from her window in her bohemian neighborhood of Laurel Canyon. Ro's search for serenity is disrupted by Fred, her charming but annoying neighbor who constantly tests her patience. When they become accidental friends during the pandemic, Ro learns Fred has a terminal illness. His last wish is for Ro to meet his mysterious friend in Marrakesh to dispose of his ashes. A comical, yet poignant tale based on many true events in the author's life, REDISCOVERING RAMONA takes the reader on an adventure from the Hollywood Hills to the Casbahs of Marrakesh and Casablanca. "A must-read for contemporary fiction fans." - Readers Favorite, 5 Stars (Manik Chaturmutha)
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 246
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Book Description
1950. When New York authorities try to remove Rainy from her home, she and Gramps seek refuge with a traveling carnival. They must adapt to an unconventional, nomadic lifestyle filled with carnies whose physical anomalies have defined them as "freaks." While traveling with the show, Rainy, Gramps, and the carnies suffer through a widespread Polio Epidemic and must fight to survive the ravages of Delaware's terrifying Hurricane Able of 1952. After a shocking turn of events, Rainy longs to return to a normal life. But what does "normal" really mean? Gwen Banta's BEYOND THE HOLE IN THE FENCE is an edge-of-your-seat adventure filled with colorful, larger-than-life characters. Through humor and heartbreak, Rainy learns she can never recapture her past. She finds love and comes of age in an eccentric environment under remarkable circumstances. "Thoroughly absorbing from the 1st paragraph... a rollicking ride... an exceptionally vivid portrait of the 1950s and an atmosphere of wonder, revelation, and change." - D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review-
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 257
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Book Description
Fledging singer Thelonious 'Theo' Aubrey and his best friend Bo, an African-American trumpet player, struggle to succeed in the exhilarating music scene of the French Quarter as America slowly recovers from World War II. Desperate for money, they join forces with Callie, a seductive young dancer, and Gritty, an enigmatic outsider. From the colorful streets of New Orleans to the legendary jazz clubs of Harlem, the young artists meet some of the most prominent musicians of their day. When the fallout from their checkered pasts catches up with them, a surprising turn of events leads the lovable, eccentric characters to their unexpected destinies. Gwen Banta's THE UNCONVENTIONAL PATH OF THELONIOUS AUBREY is a historical fiction masterpiece full of humor, love, and heartbreak, set in history's most exciting era of jazz and blues.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 278
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Book Description
In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell loses her best friend in a brutal accident. In an attempt to flee from her past, she hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. Kat soon discovers that the extreme danger of train jumping is a welcome distraction from her pain. While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway, she meets Hilda, an eccentric, larger-than-life woman who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Kat quickly adapts to the exotic atmosphere of the Vieux Carre. During her stay in New Orleans, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni, who has a mischievous personality and a mysterious past. Each girl thrives in the lively environment full of colorful patrons. But when immigration comes to take Leni into custody, their lives become inextricably linked as Kat attempts to protect her friend. Once again, the railway becomes an escape route leading them on a journey of survival that requires life-changing choices. Gwen Banta's 'The Train Jumper' is "edge of your seat" with thrilling moments - a grand adventure full of laughter and pathos. The lives of the characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies.
Author: Gwen Banta
Publisher: Next Chapter
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287
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Book Description
Based on the whimsical advice of Aunt Beaners' Ouija board, the unconventional Jackson family abruptly uproots and moves west in 1960 to Scope Ranch in Keetley, Utah, near the mountain town of Park City. Unaware that Keetley is doomed to destruction, Simmy Jackson and her kid brother, Lefty, adapt to their new rustic life. As the siblings grow to adulthood and start families of their own, they learn the fascinating history of each of their colorful relatives, such as eccentric (and arguably criminal) Aunt Beaners, affable Uncle Arty, and the inimitable ranch hand, Charlie Spratt, who becomes the patriarch of the family. Although their adventures are equally hilarious and heartbreaking, Simmy and Lefty must reconcile love with forgiveness when they discover the shocking truth and betrayal behind their journey to Utah. Full of laughter and pathos, Gwen Banta's "Enduv Road" is a generational saga that takes the reader on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting.
Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428990437
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 507
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Book Description
Jerry Thigpen's study on the history of the Combat Talon is the first effort to tell the story of this wonderfully capable machine. This weapons system has performed virtually every imaginable tactical event in the spectrum of conflict and by any measure is the most versatile C-130 derivative ever produced. First modified and sent to Southeast Asia (SEA) in 1966 to replace theater unconventional warfare (UW) assets that were limited in both lift capability and speed the Talon I quickly adapted to theater UW tasking including infiltration and resupply and psychological warfare operations into North Vietnam. After spending four years in SEA and maturing into a highly respected UW weapons system the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chose the Combat Talon to lead the night low-level raid on the North Vietnamese prison camp at Son Tay. Despite the outcome of the operation the Talon I cemented its reputation as the weapons system of choice for long-range clandestine operations. In the period following the Vietnam War United States Air Force (USAF) special operations gradually lost its political and financial support which was graphically demonstrated in the failed Desert One mission into Iran. Thanks to congressional supporters like Earl Hutto of Florida and Dan Daniel of Virginia funds for aircraft upgrades and military construction projects materialized to meet the ever-increasing threat to our nation. Under the leadership of such committed hard-driven officers as Brenci Uttaro Ferkes Meller and Thigpen the crew force became the most disciplined in our Air Force. It was capable of penetrating hostile airspace at night in a low-level mountainous environment covertly to execute any number of unconventional warfare missions.
